


The New Recruit

by silencedancer



Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Community: ff_exchange, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-07
Updated: 2011-05-07
Packaged: 2017-10-19 03:11:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/196226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silencedancer/pseuds/silencedancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first AVALANCHE terrorist group is gone, but both SOLDIER and the Turks are in shambles. While SOLDIER is now a lesser version of itself, Tseng is determined to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to the Turks. However, what he needs to do is hire more people for the Turks and that is not an easy job.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The New Recruit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sister_coyote](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sister_coyote/gifts).



> To my recipient: I'm sorry that I used so much background information from Before Crisis, but it helped me significantly with figuring out the background of one of the characters and helped shaped my idea for the plot. I hope I did not reference to it too much for your tastes.

Tseng knew that Shinra was crumbling at the foundations and that he could do nothing about it. All he could do was to make sure that the Turks did not fall apart like SOLDIER.

Left with only two other Turks under his command, the Turks threatened to become like SOLDIER: a sad, less effective version of its former self. However, Tseng was not about to let that happen without a fight.

The first and hardest step in this particular battle was also deceptively simple: he needed to hire more people. Problem was that not many had the skills and training that being in the Turks required and unlike before, there was very little time and resources available to train someone new.

Looking over a desk covered in applications, Tseng sighed. He wondered if there was anyone out there who could learn on the job, provided they already had the needed skills. Even then, he could not hire them as a full-fledged Turk until he decided they were ready. Tseng knew he would have to do the training by himself as Rude and Reno were needed in other capacities and could not spare time doing other things. It was a good thing, however, that the two partners were trustworthy and good enough to work on their own or Tseng would have even more trouble. Another good thing was that the original AVALANCHE organization that used to give them so much trouble was gone and that those now using the name were small beans compared to the original.

He sat down at his desk and despaired. His “maybe” pile had a few applications in it, but the rejected pile was four times as high and he was not too impressed with any one whose application was in the first pile. However, if the two or three applications he had not yet reviewed did not look promising, then he would have to let go of his reservations and at least grant them interviews. Maybe they were better than they looked on paper.

Then he picked up the next application and saw a familiar name written in neat handwriting at the top. He quickly reviewed the application and liked what he saw. Tseng picked up the phone and called to arrange an interview with the young woman.

\----

Elena was not the nervous type. She may have had her moments of clumsiness and forgetfulness, but she was confident in her abilities. Yet she could not help but feel nervous as she sat in the first floor lobby of Shinra Headquarters, waiting for someone to take her to the man who would be interviewing her. This nervousness did not stem from fear of not getting the job, but from the fact that she knew that she would have a lot to prove and live up to once accepted.

Eventually, a secretary escorted her to an office on one of the upper floors. When allowed into the office, she saw whom she thought to be a rather good looking man with dark hair and wondered who she was being interviewed by.

“Hello, Miss Elena. It’s nice to finally meet the younger sister of a woman I highly respected,” said the man, standing up and holding out his hand as he spoke.

Elena stared at the man’s hand and just simply said, “I’d rather be hired on my own merits rather than because I am related to my sister, sir.”

The man just smiled and took his hand back and sat down, gesturing for Elena to do the same. When Elena finally sat down, the man said, “My name is Tseng. Yes, I did know your sister, but that was not why I asked you to come in for an interview. I will admit that your last name caught my eye, but you would not be here if it was not for your excellent record at the Military Academy. From what I recall, you received five Elite Emblems in all for your test scores and you are talented in the martial arts as well as having some proficiency in firearms.”

Elena blinked. She came expecting that they wanted her because of her relation to her sister as it had first seemed, but apparently this was an organization that cared more about your skills than your name despite the fact that it worked for Shinra.

“Thank you for your compliments, sir, but I doubt my record at school has anything to do with how good I would be on the field,” said Elena, “I only have my school training and very little experience outside of the classroom.”

“This is why you would be considered in-training until I feel that you are ready to act on the field on your own or with a partner,” said Tseng, “To be honest, there are very few people who even have the skills and the knowledge to become a Turk and you are one of them. We are an elite group that only accepts the best.”

Elena looked at him carefully, still wondering if he was judging her by her sister and asked, “If you do chose me to join your organization, then there is one request I would like to make, sir.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I want you to recognize the fact that I am not my sister and that while yes, my goal is to surpass her, I do not want to be constantly compared to her. If you cannot avoid doing that, even just in your mind, I do not want to be a Turk.”

Tseng paused for a second and Elena almost was afraid that he would say that he could not honor her request, but he finally said, “I like your determination and individuality, which are qualities that I respect more so than any family relation you may have.” Elena thought she may have blushed at Tseng’s compliment, but she hoped that she didn’t or if she did, that Tseng did not notice.

“Now, this is only a preliminary interview because I wanted to find out who you are and how serious you are about getting the job. Now that I see that you are serious and that you are a person willing to do the work that is needed, I’ll like to meet with you again, but next time, I would like to see your combat skills.”

Then Tseng smiled. “Of course, I would ask you to show them to me now, but I doubt the company would appreciate the damage to the office that they’ve so kindly given me.”

This made Elena laugh and she decided that perhaps this Tseng would not be such a bad boss after all.

**Author's Note:**

> This story would not have been possible without the information I found at the Final Fantasy Wiki at Wikia. It helped me with my idea of writing a story that would've taken place between the two sequel games and the original Final Fantasy VII game. Also, I do not own these characters and am making no profit off of writing about them.


End file.
